Hatching (Potential) Crossbeak chick--Correctable?

Date sort Score sort
-Shade-

-Shade-

This Is An Illusion
Mar 27, 2021
525
8,974
591
Ardonia
I am hatching a new batch of easter eggers from a batch of girls I've had for a few years. Just this morning, the first egg pipped and I am very excited for this year's hatch to start. But when I looked closer at the pip a few hours later I could see the beak a little better. It looks like it might already be showing signs of being a crossbeak--and it's not even out of the egg yet. I know this means that the chick will grow with a very severe crossbeak as it gets older, but I was wondering if there is any way to correct it when it is this young?

Also a side note--this is the third crossbeak I've had in the lineage of this batch of easter eggers. When I first ordered the originals, one of them turned up being a crossbeak and died before she was fully fledged. The problem didn't come up until again last year, I had a chick in the 2nd-4th generation from that batch, but she wasn't even directly related to the first one that died. And now this unhatched one that may potentially have it, and I know that she is not directly descended from my living crossbeak (who hasn't started laying yet. I also DO know who's egg it is. This particular egg is a 4th gen from the originals).

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
We have had various crossbeaks and have never been able to correct them. We have done some experimenting with breeding from crossbeaks and have found that a crossbeak will produce crossbeaks. Not all of their offspring were crossbeak, but enough of them that we decided not to hatch from her again. The hens' sisters and brothers tend toward producing crossbeaks as well.
If you don't want crossbeaks you will have to select eggs from the ones that have never had crossbeak problems.
The hens we have had the most problems with are the Ameraucaunas and Easter Eggers.
 
troyer said:
We have had various crossbeaks and have never been able to correct them. We have done some experimenting with breeding from crossbeaks and have found that a crossbeak will produce crossbeaks. Not all of their offspring were crossbeak, but enough of them that we decided not to hatch from her again. The hens' sisters and brothers tend toward producing crossbeaks as well.
If you don't want crossbeaks you will have to select eggs from the ones that have never had crossbeak problems.
The hens we have had the most problems with are the Ameraucaunas and Easter Eggers.
Click to expand...
Most of our hatching girls are Ameraucaunas and Easter Egger mixes and descents.
 
What methods could be tried at least? Ive never dealt with it but have a very potential minor case in an Easter egger chick of mine. Good luck with your chick, and I hope it works out for you.
 
If you have time to do it you could tape it together the way it needs to be, take it off to feed every four hours and retape. At night it could stay taped shut. I don't really know of any other way unless a Vet was able to do it and feed intravenously while the beak was resetting. What we did was use a clipper and a fingernail file to keep the edges worn away that would prevent the upper beak from riding on the lower beak properly. You also need to keep the lower part short enough to allow the upper part to ride on top.
My problem with taping the beak together is that I couldn't bear to watch the chick struggle to get the tape off.
 

Similar threads

Oldmedicineranchpoultry
Silkies gone broody yay! But 1 question
Replies
2
Views
201
Oldmedicineranchpoultry
Oldmedicineranchpoultry
F
    • Like
Issue with hatched chick
Replies
1
Views
246
Debbie292d
Debbie292d
athomas718
    • Like
Eggs in Lockdown - Day 21
Replies
6
Views
810
Adorae
A
Slothinc
    • Love
    • Like
Leap Day Chicks!
Replies
5
Views
552
Slothinc
Slothinc
D
HELP! Day 21 - Chick is hatching but I see blood!
Replies
8
Views
234
Leilukka
L

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom